Tuesday, May 6, 2014

NEW BLOG

I have created a new blog for myself! I am using a site called Weebly to help create a new shop front for TheSpanishLady and so I decided to go ahead and create a blog there as well. I will keep this blog alive for archive purposes but all new posts will continue there.

If you are still interested Please join me at
http://www.hesgotmywholeworldinhishands.com/


Thanks!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Disney World (longest post ever)

We did it! We had a wonderful time. I planned and planned and then planned some more. I had some anxiety about it as the days approached. I couldn't sleep. I was too excited and nervous that everything would go wrong. We would get sick, our kids would be whiners/crazy difficult, it would be too hot/cold. Worry worry worry. 
Pointless worrying cause it was amazing.

We drove down to Florida and we took the trip in two days. The first day we stopped in Myrtle Beach, SC. 

We stayed in a hotel right on the beach, the kids were in heaven. At this point they still didn't know where we were going, they only knew we were going camping in Florida. They could have just stopped our vacation at this point. A hotel, an Elevator, the beach, a pool! it was all awesome. 


 They could hardly wait to put on their swimsuits. It was a colder day so I was skeptical but they were determined.



We played at the beach til they were too cold and then we went to the warm in door pool :)

The next day we got up, for the next leg of our trip. It was a pretty drive down and I was highly amused with SC's mini golf and waffle houses, seriously every ten feet. 
at around 5:00 in the afternoon as we were taking our exit for Disney World we told the kids. There reaction was a lot quieter than I expecting. I think they had to process it all. They were ecstatic and wanted to go that night! but instead we set up camp at Disney's Fort wilderness resort, ate dinner and went to bed early in preparation for our big day. I hadn't slept well for a few days now and I was exhausted. It was about 9:30 and out of nowhere I start to hear music. Disney music. It gets louder and louder, until it stops and the fireworks begin. I worried I was gonna regret camping here! But the kids slept through it and that night was the loudest night all week. Even though I heard the fireworks the other nights they never kept me up.
 I had planned ahead and brought a gift for everyday we were there. The first day was a shirt for each of them to wear. Such a simple thing but they were all thrilled. After riding a few buses we figured out the only way to The magic kingdom was by ferry. After a wait for a ferry, we were in and immediately off to the rides!

 First stop tea cups! 
 We really lucked out in the mornings and hardly had any waits. 

 In the afternoon. during nap times, Jones and I took turns taking the older kids on rides the little boys couldn't go on. Bwubs was soooo good about sleeping in the stroller. We had to soak his blanky in water to help keep him cool in the afternoon heat.


After completely satisfying days at the parks we would return to camp, swing in the hammock, play in the dirt and go to the pool. It was like 2 vacations in one. We never spent nights at the park, we preferred mornings there. One night we went to the camp fire and s'mores and then watched winnie the pooh outside. The kids thought it was hialrious and laughed outloud. I cuddled with Jones and watched there faces with the light of the movie glowing on them and just felt happy.

 On the second day we went to Epcot, which was my least favorite park, however it a had a few of our favorite things. It had Clark's favorite ride Test track by chevrolet. He was able to design a car and then take it on a "test drive" Roller coaster. From the moment he rode it, it was all he could think about the rest of the trip. He loved it so much we ended up going back to epcot on our last day just so he could ride it one more time. :)

Epcot also had to little playgrounds that were perfect for the little boys, who other wise spent a lot of time in the stroller or in our arms.






 morning bus stop routine

 Hollywood studios and Magic kingdom were my favorites.

 I wanted to take a picture of Tober in front of the muppets and she didn't want to because it wasn't pretty. So I made Alfy go tickle her.












One night after Dinner we decided to go check out Animal Kingdom, we caught the wrong bus which added 25 minutes to our trip, and ended up getting to the park 30 MINUTES before closing. Jones and I split up, I went to the dino land with the little boys and he took the older two to the rapids.
The little boys and I rode the dinosaur version of the dumbo ride 3 times cause no one was there. Alfred was in heaven. I love that somehow even with taking 4 kids we managed to have these special moments with each kid individually.
Wet, tired and cold we went back to camp and laughed about our 30 minute adventure with 1 1/2 traveling :)


 This is pretty much how our trip went, it wasn't perfect and now and then we had to laugh at our craziness but we were in it together.
 Everyday was amazing, and fun. We ended our trip Magic kingdom because to me that is Disney world. We managed to see a parade go by and Tober got a kiss from Minnie while C got two thumbs up from Frozone, who pointed to his Incredibles shirt :) 



 We also set up a meet and greet with Rapunzel for October. She was slightly disappointed it wasn't with the Ice Girl (Elsa) Ariel, and she let her know that she wasn't her favorite but she "still really likes you"

 Alfred was a little star struck and gave her a big hug. :)
 and just like that we woke up and it was over. No more buses ferries or rides, we packed up and said goodbye. Maybe we will be back...
 Disney was over but the fun wasn't. We still had a hotel near the beach, a trip to look at cape canaveral and Charleston SC to look forward to.





 We met up at with some of Jones old friends, like way old, pre mission buddies, for a day at the beach. It was really fun and the kids really didn't want to leave.
 Somehow I managed to book us a two bedroom suite on our last night?! Ofcourse it was the night we go in the latest and spent the least amount of time in a hotel, but it was still really fun. Sleeping in a hotel with a TV in each room and shut doors between you and your kids...not how we usually travel :)


We listened to LDS General Conference on our phone on the way home. The perfect end to our vacation





 What a blessing it is to go on a true VACATION. It something I am so glad we did and even more grateful we were able to.